Oregon's most vital source of health news

dental health

The author says that several factors have major effects on dental health, especially diet, personal dental habits, professional care and genetics. But based on a wealth of credible data, fluoridation isn’t one of them.

Dr. Bruce Austin, 10 months into his job as Oregon’s first state dental director, says poor oral health is Oregon’s “hidden epidemic,” leading to worse overall health especially in children; he advocates statewide fluoridation among other solutions.

By:

Jan Johnson

According to a 2012 Oregon Smile Survey taken at 82 schools statewide, 17,000 Oregon kids between ages six and nine – about 13 percent -- have seven cavities or more with rampant decay including rows of black bumps for teeth.

After refusing to have a panoramic X-ray, Kaiser refuses to schedule a dental visit

By:

Rudolf Owens, MA, MPH

OPINION- Today I cannot receive one of the most common and beneficial oral health activities, a six-month dental visit with my dental provider, Kaiser Permanente.

The reason why? I am refusing to have a panoramic X-ray.

More dentists in private practice are going to have to make the change to some form of managed care as the future moves more toward the concept of disease prevention and finding ways to avoid expensive restorative procedures, according to the author.

By:

R. Mike Shirtcliff

OPINION -- Brush twice a day, floss twice a day and rinse twice a day. That is what we were all taught as children and told by our dentists twice a year.

Jeremy Horst, a dentist researching at the University of California San Francisco, advocates for a low-cost compound that can be applied to teeth like ointment and more effectively stop cavities than traditional drilling methods. The treatment recently won FDA approval after a public health campaign led by a professor at the University of Washington School of Dentistry.

By:

Chris Gray

Jeremy Horst, a researcher and dentist practicing his trade at Alameda Pediatric Dentistry in California, had a patient whose mouth was full of cavities.

Thanks to the Creston Children’s Dental Clinic, more than 500 children have been seen by volunteer representing dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants.

By:

Joanne Scharer

The oral health status among children in Oregon does not bode well for healthy smiles, especially those of low-income children.

Oregon Health Forum

Content Text Size

Group subscriptions

Featured Event

Story Ideas

Premium Subscriptions

Health Hires

Be The First To Know: Follow Us On Social Media

Comments Welcome

If you'd like to submit a comment on any of the stories that appear in The Lund Report, you'll need to become a subscriber and share your name and email address with us. Your name will appear on the comment that is published. You can also send us story tips anonymously.

Promote Your Event Here!

Promote your health care-related events on our site! Please contact us for more information. With 30,000+ monthly viewers, we are an effective venue for spreading the word about your event.